Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Can the minister confirm for the House that there are now 80 undergraduate degrees enrolling Australian students in full-fee courses costing up to $200,000, with entry scores substantially lower than for the equivalent HECS place—for example, nearly 15 marks lower than a HECS place for a bachelor of education and arts degree at the University of Sydney, 18 marks lower for a Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace) at the University of Adelaide and nearly 20 marks lower for a bachelor of sports science at Deakin University in Melbourne? Doesn’t this show that the Howard government is hell bent on Americanising our university system?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Jagajaga for the question. I think there are many people who would take exception to her continued denigration of the American education system. It has no place in Australian politics.

The fact is that 96 per cent of Australian domestic undergraduates attend university in a Commonwealth-supported place—96 per cent. Three per cent—nearly four per cent—of students attend in a full fee paying place. At least a third of them are in relation to winter school or summer school. And so we are talking about a very small proportion of students who are given the opportunity to pay a full fee in order to attend university. The opposition think it is okay for students from Malaysia or China to have an opportunity to attend university and pay for a place, but they would deny the same opportunity to a very small number of Australian students, who deserve to have an opportunity—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The point is that these are Australian students getting into these courses with marks—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume her seat. The minister is in order.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The full fee paying places are offered in our most competitive courses, and Australian domestic students should have every right, as other students from overseas have, to undertake a university course. Ninety-six per cent are in a Commonwealth-supported place, and a fraction of that are in a full fee paying place. This is all about choice for Australian students.